Comparison of arsenic concentrations in simultaneously-collected groundwater and aquifer particles from Bangladesh,India, Vietnam,and Nepal

One of the reasons the processes resulting in As release to groundwater in southern Asia remain poorly understood is the high degree of spatial variability of physical and chemical properties in shallow aquifers. In an attempt to overcome this difficulty, a simple device that collects groundwater and sediment as a slurry from precisely the same interval was developed in Bangladesh. Recently published results from Bangladesh and India relying on the needle-sampler are augmented here with new data from 37 intervals of grey aquifer material of likely Holocene age in Vietnam and Nepal. A total of 145 samples of filtered groundwater ranging in depth from 3 to 36 m that were analyzed for As (1–1000 μg/L), Fe (0.01–40 mg/L), Mn (0.2–4 mg/L) and S (0.04–14 mg/L) are compared. The P-extractable (0.01–36 mg/kg) and HCl-extractable As (0.04–36 mg/kg) content of the particulate phase was determined in the same suite of samples, in addition to Fe(II)/Fe ratios (0.2–1.0) in the acid-leachable fraction of the particulate phase. Needle-sampler data from Bangladesh indicated a relationship between dissolved As in groundwater and P-extractable As in the particulate phase that was interpreted as an indication of adsorptive equilibrium, under sufficiently reducing conditions, across 3 orders of magnitude in concentrations according to a distribution coefficient of 4 mL/g. The more recent observations from India, Vietnam and Nepal show groundwater As concentrations that are often an order of magnitude lower at a given level of P-extractable As compared to Bangladesh, even if only the subset of particularly reducing intervals characterized by leachable Fe(II)/Fe >0.5 and dissolved Fe >0.2 mg/L are considered. Without attempting to explain why As appears to be particularly mobile in reducing aquifers of Bangladesh compared to the other regions, the consequences of increasing the distribution coefficient for As between the particulate and dissolved phase to 40 mL/g for the flushing of shallow aquifers of their initial As content are explored.     

Seismic stratigraphy of Lago Puyehue (Chilean Lake District): new views on its deglacial and Holocene evolution

Prior to the collection of a series of sediment cores, a high- and very-high-resolution reflection seismic survey was carried out on Lago Puyehue, Lake District, South-Central Chile. The data reveal a complex bathymetry and basin structure, with three sub-basins separated by bathymetric ridges, bedrock islands and interconnected channels. The sedimentary infill reaches a thickness of >200 m. It can be sub-divided into five seismic-stratigraphic units, which are interpreted as: moraine, ice-contact or outwash deposits (Unit I), glacio-lacustrine sediments rapidly deposited in a proglacial or subglacial lake at the onset of deglaciation (Unit II), lacustrine fan deposits fed by sediment-laden meltwater streams in a proglacial lake (Unit III), distal deposits of fluvially derived sediment in an open, post-glacial lake (Unit IV) and authigenic lacustrine sediments, predominantly of biogenic origin, that accumulated in an open, post-glacial lake (Unit V). This facies succession is very similar to that observed in other glacial lakes, and minor differences are attributed to an overall higher depositional energy and higher terrigenous input caused by the strong seismic and volcanic activity in the region combined with heavy precipitation. A long sediment core (PU-II core) penetrates part of Unit V and its base is dated as 17,915 cal. yr. BP. Extrapolation of average sedimentation rates yields an age of ca. 24,750 cal. yr. BP for the base of Unit V, and of ca. 28,000 cal. yr. BP for the base of Unit IV or for the onset of open-water conditions. This is in contrast with previous glacial-history reconstructions based on terrestrial records, which date the complete deglaciation of the basin as ca. 14,600 cal. yr. BP. This discrepancy cannot be easily explained and highlights the need for more lacustrine records from this region. This is the second in a series of eight papers published in this special issue dedicated to the 17,900 year multi-proxy lacustrine record of Lago Puyehue, Chilean Lake District. The papers in this special issue were collected by M. De Batist, N. Fagel, M.-F. Loutre and E. Chapron.     

The Ultimate CCD for Laser Guide Star Wavefront Sensing on Extremely Large Telescopes

All of the extremely large telescopes (ELTs) will utilize sodium laser guide star (LGS) adaptive optics (AO) systems. Most of these telescopes plan to use the Shack-Hartmann approach for wavefront sensing. In these AO systems, the laser spots in subapertures at the edge of the pupil will suffer from spot elongation due to the 10 km extent of the sodium layer and the large separation from the projection laser. This spot elongation will severely degrade the performance of standard geometry wavefront sensing systems. In this paper, we present a CCD with custom pixel morphology that aligns the pixels of each subaperture with the radial extension of the LGS spot. This CCD design will give better performance than a standard geometry CCDs for continuous wave lasers. In addition, this CCD design is optimal for a pulsed sodium laser. The pixel geometry enables each subaperture to follow a laser pulse traversing the sodium layer, providing optimal sampling of a limited number of detected photons. In addition to novel pixel layout, this CCD will also incorporate experimental JFET sense amplifiers and use CMOS design approaches to simplify the routing of biases, clocks and video output. This CCD will attain photon-noise limited performance at high frame rates, and is being incorporated in the plans for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).     

Quartz thermoluminescence (TL) in gold exploration; some applications

The possible uses of thermoluminescence in mineral exploration are summarised. The methodology is described and some applications for gold exploration are developed with regard to the district of St-Yrieix (Limousin, France), the district of Salsigne (Herault, France) and some occurrences in the Ardenne massif (Belgium). From these cases, different possibilities may be mentioned: the distinction of various types of mineralized structures (St-Yrieix); the evaluation of the potential of mineralized districts from samples collected in the old mining works or in the superficial formations, etc. (St-Yrieix; Ardenne massif), and the determination of a genetic affiliation between different types of mineralizations (e.g. between stratiform deposits and vein-type deposits: the comparison between the districts of St-Yrieix and Salsigne). Finally new possibilities using the TL sensitivity and the equation of the straight lines NTL (natural TL) and ATL (induced TL) are evaluated.     

煤矸石堆周围土壤重金属污染特征分析--以焦作市中马村矿为例

利用扇形布点法采集了焦作市中马村矿矸石堆周围土壤，对其中的Cr、Pb、Cu、Mn4种重金属含量进行了研究。结果表明：煤矸石的堆放对周围土壤造成不同程度的污染，重金属的含量随离矸石堆距离增大呈减小的趋势，主要受到风向的影响。     

Carbonation of alkaline paper mill waste to reduce CO2 greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere

The global warming of Earth’s near-surface, air and oceans in recent decades is a direct consequence of anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere such as CO₂, CH₄, N₂O and CFCs. The CO₂ emissions contribute approximately 60% to this climate change. This study investigates experimentally the aqueous carbonation mechanisms of an alkaline paper mill waste containing about 55 wt% portlandite (Ca(OH)₂) as a possible mineralogical CO₂ sequestration process. The overall carbonation reaction includes the following steps: (1) Ca release from portlandite dissolution, (2) CO₂ dissolution in water and (3) CaCO₃ precipitation. This CO₂ sequestration mechanism was supported by geochemical modelling of final solutions using PHREEQC software, and observations by scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction of final reaction products. According to the experimental protocol, the system proposed would favour the total capture of approx. 218 kg of CO₂ into stable calcite/ton of paper waste, independently of initial CO₂ pressure. The final product from the carbonation process is a calcite (ca. 100 wt%)-water dispersion. Indeed, the total captured CO₂ mineralized as calcite could be stored in degraded soils or even used for diverse industrial applications. This result demonstrates the possibility of using the alkaline liquid–solid waste for CO₂ mitigation and reduction of greenhouse effect gases into the atmosphere.     

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals and radionuclides from seawater by encased embryos of the spotted dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula

Encased embryos of spotted dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula absorbed six radio-isotopes (241Am, 109Cd, 57Co, 134Cs, 54Mn and 65Zn) directly from seawater during short-term experimental exposure, demonstrating the permeability of the egg-case to these contaminants. Embryo to water concentration factors (CFs) ranged from 0.14 for 134Cs to 7.4 for 65Zn. The 65Zn and 57Co CFs increased exponentially with embryo length, whereas the CF for 109Cd declined with length. Among different components of the encased embryo the egg case was the major repository (69-99%) of all six radio-isotopes that were distributed throughout its wall. Egg-case CFs were as high as 10(3) for 57Co and 65Zn, making it the major source of gamma radiation exposure to the embryo and potentially of radio-isotopes for continued absorption by the embryo, following the uptake phase of the experiment. The patterns of uptake by the egg-case approximated linearity for most isotopes and loss rates were isotope-specific; egg-case biokinetics were not greatly affected by the viability of the contained embryo. Within the embryo initial data on radio isotopic distribution show that the skin is their major site of uptake, as previously demonstrated for juveniles.     

含水大陆下地壳的部分熔融：大别山C型埃达克岩成因探讨

       根据大陆下地壳的成分、含水基性岩体系部分熔融的基本原理和实验岩石学资料,本文对大陆下地壳的熔融机制展 开了讨论,并在此基础上对比实验熔体与大别山C 型埃达克岩的成分,进而探讨约束源岩成分、熔融的温压条件和部分熔 融程度。研究结果表明,大陆下地壳总体上是中- 基性（SiO2　50%~60% ）和含少量水的,在缺乏流体相条件下伴随含水 矿物脱水的部分熔融是下地壳产生含水长英质熔体和无水残留体的主要机制。角闪岩在中等压力下（1.0~1.2 GPa,相当于 35~40 km）理论上能够产生石榴石含量超过~20% 的熔融残余,从而使得与之平衡的长英质熔体具有低Y,高Sr/Y 和La/Yb 比值等埃达克岩特征。基于水活度模型和变质基性岩p -t 相图的估算显示,含有40%~60% 角闪石的源岩（含水0.8%~1.2%） 在~950 ℃能够得到最大为15%~20% 的熔体,该熔体分数满足熔体分离的要求。大别山C型埃达克岩主要为高钾钙碱性系 列（K2O 3.5%~5%）,与实验熔体成分的对比可知,其无法由低钾源岩在合理的部分熔融程度形成。根据钾在角闪岩部分熔 融过程过表现为强不相容元素的原理,利用合理假设的残余体组合得到的分配系数,估算K2O 含量为~1% 的源岩在熔融程 度为15%~20% 的情况下能够得到类似大别山C 型埃达克岩成分的熔体。     

Study of inorganic ligand-chromium(III)-surface ternary complexes by ESR spectroscopy

Cr(III) sorbed at the solid/water interface of latex and hectorite was studied by ESR spectroscopy in the presence of different inorganic ligands. The ESR spectra of the surface obtained in the presence of selenite, phosphate and fluoride can be explained in terms of ternary surface complex formation. This is contrasted by the behaviour of sulfate and selenate ions which were found to have no effect on the ligand field of Cr(III), either in the adsorbed state or in solution.     

Observations of atmospheric water vapor above the Tharsis volcanoes on Mars with the OMEGA/MEx imaging spectrometer

The OMEGA imaging spectrometer onboard the Mars Express spacecraft is particularly well suited to study in detail specific regions of Mars, thanks to its high spatial resolution and its high signal-to-noise ratio. We investigate the behavior of atmospheric water vapor over the four big volcanoes located on the Tharsis plateau (Olympus, Ascraeus, Pavonis and Arsia Mons) using the 2.6 μm band, which is the strongest and most sensitive H₂O band in the OMEGA spectral range. Our data sample covers the end of MY26 and the whole MY27, with gaps only in the late northern spring and in northern autumn. The most striking result of our retrievals is the increase of water vapor mixing ratio from the valley to the summit of volcanoes. Corresponding column density is often almost constant, despite a factor of ∼5 decrease in air mass from the bottom to the top. This peculiar water enrichment on the volcanoes is present in 75% of the orbits in our sample. The seasonal distribution of such enrichment hints at a seasonal dependence, with a minimum during the northern summer and a maximum around the northern spring equinox. The enrichment possibly also has a diurnal trend, being the orbits with a high degree of enrichment concentrated in the early morning. However, the season and the solar time of the observations, due to the motion of the spacecraft, are correlated, then the two dependences cannot be clearly disentangled. Several orbits exhibit also spatially localized enrichment structures, usually ring- or crescent-shaped. We retrieve also the height of the saturation level over the volcanoes. The results show a strong minimum around the aphelion season, due to the low temperatures, while it raises quickly before and after this period. The enrichment is possibly generated by the local circulation characteristic of the volcano region, which can transport upslope significant quantities of water vapor. The low altitude of the saturation level during the early summer can then hinder the transport of water during this season. The influence of the coupling between atmosphere and surface, due mainly to the action of the regoliths, can also contribute partially to the observed phenomenon.